Kid Icarus flies again on Wii VC

Originally released in 2001, Super Smash Bros. Melee is still a regular resident in the top 10 of the GameCube sales charts, and its announced follow-up for the Wii--Super Smash Bros. Brawl--is among the system's most anticipated releases. Now fans can see where some once and future Smash Bros. competitors got their start, because the console debut titles for original Smash Brother Kirby, Super Smash Bros. Melee's Ice Climbers, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Pit are now available on the Wii's Virtual Console.

One of the earliest Nintendo Entertainment System platformers, Ice Climber allowed two players to scale 32 mountains while jumping between moving platforms, avoiding falling icicles, and smashing enemies with a handy hammer. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's review of the Game Boy Advance Ice Climber rerelease.

While the name references the classical myth of Icarus, Kid Icarus actually tells the story of Pit, a young bow-and-arrow-wielding angel who ventures through the kingdom of Angel Land on a quest to defeat Medusa. Kid Icarus was originally released on the NES alongside Metroid. Both were adventure games that let players save their progress with a password system.

Kirby's Adventure was one of the last big NES platformers, arriving for the system in 1993, almost two years after the Super Nintendo had been released. The game introduced a novel twist on the platforming formula: The pink puffball protagonist could inhale enemies to absorb their powers.

All three games are available on the Virtual Console for 500 Wii points ($5) each.